South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to launch re-election bid

State-By-State Coverage

First term Republican to announce 2014 re-election bid on August 26 in Greenville

♦By Rich Shumate, Chickenfriedpolics.com editor

GREENVILLE, S.C. (CFP) — South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will announce her 2014 re-election bid on August 26 at a high-profile public event that will feature three of her fellow Republican governors, her campaign has confirmed.

The event in Greenville will include Texas Governor Rick Perry, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, along with U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who Haley appointed to the Senate. Her campaign confirmed the event with the Greenville Times.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley

Haley, 41, is the first woman to serve as South Carolina’s chief executive and is currently the youngest governor of any state. Her bid for a second term has been widely expected.

Haley won a hotly contested Republican primary in 2010 with the backing of Tea Party groups and an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Despite the strong Republican tendencies in the Palmetto State, her general election win was surprisingly close, with Haley carrying just 51 percent of the vote.

Her Democratic opponent in 2010, State Senator Vincent Sheheen of Camden, plans a re-match.

Haley is the daughter of Sikh immigrants from India. She and Jindal are the nation’s first Indian-American governors.